Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Seth went to prom. His senior prom. And he had a blast. I can't believe it's over. Neither can he.

Snuck out for ice cream with a friend...thank goodness for drive thru, she was in her jammies!

Planned a grad party menu...I still can't believe it.

Chris and Ian got the house prepped for paint. Even a coat of primer makes a huge difference.

The guys moved Noni's fountain to our backyard...it looks good. Looked for white impatiens to plant around the base...they were out. Will try again during the week.

Bought zucchini plants but didn't get them in the ground. I will.

Went out for pizza.

Got sucked into Candy Crush...I know, I know.

Went on a canoe ride with Chris and Ian in the rain. More like sprinkles. It was beautiful once I got past the fear. More on that later.

Enjoyed the cool weather...possibly the last for a while.

Demanded almost an entire season of "The Killing" and now we can't wait for the new season to start.

Put our old front door and screen door in the FREE listing on Craig's List. Someone came and got it while we were on the canoe. It felt good to give it away. Glad it can be used and not piled up at the dump.

Took advantage of the gray, rainy holiday and made a big pot of clam chowder for dinner...it was really yummy and seemed to be a perfect end to a nice, productive weekend.

Friday, May 24, 2013

A few weeks ago I was at a luncheon that was held at one of our local historical homes here in town. It's a beautiful home and the grounds are lovely and well maintained. The landscape designer was there, as well as a Master Gardener from the local gardening club. I decided to ask him about beekeeping...backyard beekeeping in particular. His response? "Oh you can't keep bees in your backyard, there wouldn't be enough food to sustain them."

I have to admit, I was bummed. Ever since I began researching and learning more about natural foods and self sustainability, the idea of keeping bees has intrigued me. Kind of like when I began researching backyard chickens...I read and read and read and then one day, we got some chicks, built a coop, and the rest is history.
At that same time I read a few books about beekeeping and one in particular really made an impact on me...Honeybee, Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper. It's not only entertaining but also very informative. Among other things, she talked about all of the things that bees produce...honey, of course, propolis, pollen, beeswax...andhow all of it is beneficial. All of it. Amazing.

It made such an impression on me and since then my love and respect for bees has continued to grow.

But...back to the "you can't keep bees in your backyard" statement. First of all, I don't want to do anything that would put the bees lives in danger. So if this is true, and they wouldn't be able to survive, I would never do it. And I would move forward with Plan B: continue to plant things that bees love to attract them to our yard. But I'm not sure it's totally out of the question to keep bees in a suburban backyard.

So to be completely sure I went to the library (of course) and got a few books on backyard beekeeping. I'm going to read them and see what they say...because maybe the Master Gardener isn't a master on bees and maybe he didn't really know what he was talking about. I'm just saying maybe.

OH...and...Chris and I were talking to our neighbor (over the back fence) a few weeks ago and he mentioned that his wife is researching, yep, you guessed it, beekeeping. So who knows...maybe we can do it together. You never know.

In the meantime, I will continue to research. And if I find that it truly isn't a good idea to keep bees in a small suburban yard, then I won't. I will also continue to plant more plants that attract bees, and all pollinators. Like lavender for instance...we planted lavender last summer and it's growing like crazy this year. And attracting bees like crazy, too! They love it. And I love them. It makes me so happy to see them buzzing around the yard.

Monday, May 20, 2013

I have started three or four blog posts over the last week...only to leave them hanging, unfinished, realizing they had no real meaning. Not that any of my other posts have some great mind-blowing meaning...but you know what I mean. The latest attempts at blog posts are just odd-ball ramblings that just sort of trail off...as if I've fallen asleep mid-sentence.

And maybe I have! I have been pretty tired lately.

But seriously...every time I come here and think to write about something I just can't seem to keep my thoughts straight. It's not like I don't have anything to talk about...maybe it's more like I have too many things to talk about.

There's the home exterior project that Chris and the boys have been working on...front porch update, new paint, new door...it's coming along nicely. And of course, I will share photos once it's done!

Then there's the impending graduation of my first born coming up...in three weeks. Are you kidding me? How can this even be? *Sigh*....more on that coming up, too.

Last week I was so busy I could hardly catch my breath...each night held one commitment or another...and we made it through, one day at a time.

There has been an in-depth bible study I've been working on...and the dwindling pile of paperwork I am slowly pecking away at....and time spent with friends.

And honestly, sometimes I just get inside my head and get a bit lost with all that's swirling around in there. Once that happens it takes me a little while to process it all and find my words again.

But the bottom line? Life is good. Things are moving in a good and positive direction...ad ultimately that's all that matters, right? Right.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

If I could do it again...I would have made homemade baby food for my boys. I see all of these books about making fresh, real, organic baby food for babies and I get a pang of sadness that I didn't make my own baby food. I did a little bit with Ian...mainly because he did not like store bought baby food. (He was a foodie from the start, I guess!) I fed him a lot of mashed up bananas, pureed peas and green beans, boiled and mashed apples, ya know, easy things to mash. But I could have done more...and wish that I had.

If I could do it again...I would have home schooled my boys. I know, I know...it's not for everyone. And maybe it wouldn't have been for me, either. But I think I would have done a good job. And I think the boys would have done well. I was seriously considering it when the boys were in grade school, twice. Ian was willing but Seth was not. And Chris wasn't really sure how he felt about it, so it never became reality. But if I could do it again, I would home school from the start.

I know it's not good to look back with regret. And I don't regret anything really...only wish I'd known then what I know now. Don't we all? Because some of my decisions would be different if I had it to do over again.

How about you? What would you do differently if you could have a chance to do it again?

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

The Lord protects those of childlike faith;I was facing death, and he saved me.Let my soul be at rest again,for the Lord has been good to me.He has saved me from death,my eyes from tears,my feet from stumbling.

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Some people feel guilty about their anxieties and regard them as a defect of faith but they are afflictions, not sins. Like all afflictions, they are, if we can so take them, our share in the passion of Christ.

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11 Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. -1 Thessalonians 4:11-12